China issues stapled visa to Arunachal wushu players, India cancels their departure

Late-night drama unfolded for the Indian wushu team when China issued stapled visas to three players from Arunachal Pradesh, adding to a long list of similar instances.

What happened

The Indian government decided to call off the wushu team's trip to China for the World University Games after three female athletes from Arunachal Pradesh received stapled visas from the Chinese authorities.

The 12-member team, consisting of eight players, one coach, and three officials, was scheduled to leave for the Games. Among them were three female athletes from Arunachal Pradesh.

The team officials applied for visas on July 16. While the other team members received their visas on time, the Arunachal athletes' documents were not accepted. They were asked to resubmit their documents on Tuesday, but in response, the Chinese embassy returned their passports with stapled visas.

Initially, most of the athletes were set to leave late on Wednesday night, with the three Arunachal athletes scheduled to depart tonight due to their delayed visas caused by the stapled visa issue. However, due to the slow and unresponsive approach by the Chinese authorities, the Indian Government decided to cancel the entire team's trip.

The concerned authorities of the team mentioned that upon learning of the problem, the government instructed the entire Wushu team to temporarily pause their travel plans. The Indian government, along with other concerned bodies, is yet to make a final decision regarding the team's participation in the tournament.

What is a stapled visa?

A stapled visa is issued by a country that claims a specific area belongs to them, even though they lack control over it. China's claim on India's Arunachal Pradesh is a classic example.

When a stapled visa is issued, the immigration officer does not put a stamp on the passenger/applicant's passport. Instead, they attach another paper to the passport with all the trip details, such as the purpose and duration of the journey in the destination country. This paper is then stamped by the officials, and it's referred to as the stapled visa.

China and their use of Stapled visa 

This is not the first time China has caused chaos by denying or issuing stapled visas to sportspersons.

• In 2011, China issued stapled visas to five karate players from Arunachal Pradesh who were traveling to the country for a championship in Guangzhou.

• In 2013, two young archers named Maselo Mihu and Sorang Yumi were barred from participating in the Youth World Archery Championship due to the same issue.

India has consistently rejected China's assertion that the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is disputed land, and immigration officials at all airports are instructed not to allow anyone with a stapled visa to fly to China.